Freshmen's season disappoints

Freshman midfielder Emily Hotz can't even remember the last time a team of hers had a losing season.\nAnd she's not the only one.\nHotz and the group of freshmen, who've been winning games all their lives, didn't expect their 2000 season to end in October with an 8-9-1 record.\n"I can't really remember the last time I finished off a season with a losing record," Hotz said. "It is new, and I definitely don't like it very much.\n"However, the season is over, so now all we can focus on is a successful spring and next year."\nAfter experiencing the disappointment that comes with the losing record, the freshmen, who ended their season on a positive note with a 3-1 win over Kentucky, said they aren't planning on letting the sting of losing enter their minds again.\n"All the teams I have played for have always been winning teams," freshman forward Shelly Gruszka said. "It wasn't what I expected the season to be like, but we learned something from it. And that's all that matters."\nFive freshmen Hoosiers logged significant time over the season for coach Joe Kelley's team. The class came into Bloomington as the 39th ranked class in the country by Soccer Buzz Magazine.\nIn her very first game, on her first two shots, Hotz scored two goals in helping the Hoosiers beat Xavier 3-0 in the season opener. Hotz, a four-time all-state selection in Missouri, took more shots from her midfield position than any other Hoosier by season's end.\nIn fact, she had nearly 20 more shots than the closest Hoosier in starting all 18 games, and played nearly all of the season's minutes.\nWhile Hotz was providing IU's offense early on, freshman goalie Shaunna Daugherty was setting up shop at the other end of the field.\nDaugherty won her first three games, pitching two shutouts and allowing just one goal. She got caught sometimes, including giving up three goals in four minutes against Penn State, but was in solid tandem with senior Chrissy Heubi in the net.\nGruszka, the two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America Missouri State Player of the Year, played in all 18 games for the Hoosiers, starting in 15. Gruszka, who was a threat coming into IU, only managed two goals in her first season.\nHer disappointment carried over to the team. She said she knew they were young, but thoughtthey could still win.\n"I expected a better season," Gruszka said. "I knew we were young, but extremely talented. During spring season, I was so impressed with all the upper classmen and my fellow freshmen. This season didn't work out the way we wanted it. We are young still and are learning all the time."\nThe spring season included a win over Michigan, one of the Big Ten's top teams this year.\nBut the momentum of the spring and non-conference success never translated into Big Ten wins for the Hoosiers.\nAfter a team-best 5-0 start that included a 2-1 double-overtime win over San Diego State, the Hoosiers' offense went into hibernation, scoring only four goals during the entire, 10-game, Big Ten season.\n"We were so excited after the first five games," Gruszka said. "We were really clicking and we were producing the stats. After our first weekend in Big Ten play, we were almost shocked (in losing to both Michigan and Northwestern). It put a damper on our confidence. And then all the injuries happen."\nInjuries forced the early maturation of two more freshmen tossed into starting roles for IU.\nFreshmen Carly Everett and Erin Hesselbach were replacements, who earned their way into full-time starting roles for the Big Ten season. Their play allowed Kelley to move opening day backs, senior Kendal Willis and junior Whitney Butler to the forward third, creating offense for IU.\nKelley said he was immediately impressed with Hesselbach's play in the air and her control on the field. He said he was also impressed with Everett's play.\n"We knew Carly was a very good athlete," Kelley said after her second start. "We knew she was a decent soccer player. \n"Well, after two weeks we saw, 'Whoa, Carly is a very good soccer player.' Her decision making and her one-touch passing was much better than we had anticipated because we hadn\'t seen that out of her."\nThe Hoosiers up-and-down season ended last Sunday, with a 3-1 win over SEC power and nationally-ranked Kentucky. The Hoosiers, who hadn't scored in over 500 consecutive minutes and were 0-for-7 in October, plowed through the Wildcat defense three times in the first half.\nSo all this leaves one question: which is the real women's soccer team?\nIs it the team that started out 5-0, streaking to a No. 24 national ranking, or is the team that finished one point out of last place in the Big Ten?\n"The true picture of our team is Sunday," said Hotz, referring to their win over UK. "We are a great team with just tons of talent.